European stocks opened lower on Wednesday, as investors digest the ongoing trade war between the US and China. The FTSE 100 index opened down 134.23 points, 1.7%, at 7,776.30. The FTSE 250 was down 293.86 points, 1.6%, at 18,055.29, and the AIM All-Share was down 7.08 points, 1.1%, at 634.58. The Cboe UK 100 was down 1.6% at 774.66, the Cboe UK 250 was down 1.7% at 15,700.63, and the Cboe...

Audioboom have fallen 30% over the past yearWilson previously worked for AudioboomHarvey previously worked for SiriusXM and CBS RadioShares in Audioboom (BOOM: AIM) were up 4% to 260p in morning trading as the podcast specialist said it was hiring two key sales executives ?to expand the company?s revenue operations.?Molly Harvey, formerly of SiriusXM and CBS Radio, joins Audioboom as vice...

First-half revenues expected to fall 18%Shares down over 70% in the past yearNative advertiser blames lower traffic volumesDianomi (DNM:AIM) saw its shares tank nearly 40% in morning trading as the native digital advertising firm said its revenue for the six months to 30 June 2023 is expected to show an 18% fall.The firm which provides native digital advertising - this is when online ads mimic...

I think the legendary US investor Warren Buffett once said, 'an investor must understand a company's products and its business model before making an investment' which loosely translates to 'buy what you know'.I tried to adopt this strategy when filling my SIPP (self-invested investment plan) in 2019 after combining several smaller pension pots from former employers.WHAT IS IN MY SIPP?I chose...

Audioboom shares down over 51% year to dateBlames challenging advertising marketsSubject to Amazon and Spotify takeover rumours in the pastShares in podcasting platform Audioboom (BOOM:AIM) fell over 27% to 206p in morning trading after the company issued a full year profit warning following challenging conditions in advertising markets.Audioboom shares have almost halved year-to-date. The...

Podcast specialist Audioboom (BOOM:AIM) announced record sales and earnings for the three months to March and revealed it had already secured more revenues for this year than it booked for the whole of last year.The company has positioned itself as the leading player in the growing podcast market and has trebled revenues in the last three years.RECORD-BREAKINGFor the first quarter, Audioboom...

Paying a regular fee for a service is far from a new concept but over the last five years subscription services have mushroomed. Today you can sign up for pretty much everything from TV streaming to meal box deliveries, prescription refills, coffee bean fixes and gym classes.The pandemic became boom time with people unable to make spontaneous decisions about their free time and shares in...

There are many interesting businesses on the AIM market which fly under the radar as they do not get the same attention as their counterparts on the Main Market. Research coverage by analysts is thin, AIM stocks aren't discussed much in the media, and only fund managers with a mandate to look at small companies might even be aware of their existence.This means there is a big opportunity for...

The FTSE 100 finished the first trading session of the week in the red, shedding 0.54% to close at 7,445.25 points. Housebuilders dragged on the blue chip benchmark on the UK Government's plans to force them to pay to fix the cladding crisis which has followed the Grenfell tragedy in 2017.The more domestically-focused FTSE 250 ended the day 1.5% lower at 23,001.81 points.Investor sentiment was...

London's FTSE 100 was flat by midday at 7,482.12 points, with housebuilders weighing on the blue chip benchmark as the UK Government announced plans to force them to pay to fix the cladding crisis which has followed the Grenfell tragedy in 2017.The housing secretary will unveil plans this week for a £4 billion grant scheme to pay for repairs demanded by banks and insurers in the wake of the...

There is a common theme in the current wave of takeovers involving UK stocks, namely that many of the targets operate in the business-to-business space and provide products or services to other companies.Since the middle of July there have been more than half a dozen significant bids, most of which have been recommended by the boards of the target companies.Parker-Hannifin's bid for component...

UK stocks inched higher after two days of strong gains in US markets. At 8.30am the FTSE 100 index was up 7 points to 7,005 points led by house builders and leisure stocks while consumer goods and utility companies were on the back foot.Oil prices retreated slightly after a strong bounce overnight with Brent crude futures dipping 0.2% to $72 per barrel while the gold price retreated to $1,800...

There is a well-worn phrase that 'a week is a long time in politics'. In market terms, a week can feel even longer and can sometimes signal a shift from one trend to another.A fortnight ago when we introduced the idea of watching the number of stocks making new highs as a barometer of the health of the market, the FTSE All-Share was just below its all-time high and everything seemed to be...

Stocks continued their advance on Tuesday as investors took central bank attempts to soothe their inflation fears at face value and Fed chairman Jerome Powell prepared to testify before the House of Representatives.At 12.30pm the FTSE 100 index was up 24 points or 0.33% to 7,086 points led by property, industrial and energy stocks, while the FTSE 250 mid-cap index gained 140 points or 0.6% to...

Stocks advanced gingerly in early trading as investors waited for Fed chairman Jerome Powell to testify before the House of Representatives in order to get a better feel for the near-term outlook for US interest rates and liquidity.At 9am the FTSE 100 index was up 20 points or 0.3% to 7,082 points led by property, industrial and energy stocks, while the FTSE 250 mid-cap index gained 95 points...

Leading UK shares fell throughout morning trading on Friday as a jump in retail sales lifted the pound and hurt export-orientated companies.The benchmark FTSE 100 lost 0.47% to 6,905 by lunchtime with large dollar-earning exporters like consumer staples companies Unilever (ULVR), Diageo (DGE) and British American Tobacco (BATS) slipping by up to 1% as the pound strengthened against the...

Leading UK shares fell in early trading on Friday despite a surge in March retail sales as a stronger pound weighed on export-oriented companies.The benchmark FTSE 100 lost 0.26% in early deals at 6,919.95 with large dollar-earning exporters like consumer staples companies Unilever (ULVR), Diageo (DGE) and British American Tobacco (BATS) slipping by up to 1% as the pound strengthened against...

The FTSE 100 fell into the red on Monday morning as the coronavirus death toll eclipsed Sars, with investors concerned about the impact the virus will have on manufacturing in China and the surrounding region.The UK's benchmark index opened 0.22% lower to 7,462.05, taking its lead from Asian stock markets which also dropped in morning trade.Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.6%, the Hang Seng in Hong...

Smaller companies are often at the sharp end of positive and negative trends in the market and wider economy.A spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation can help small caps be at the forefront of change. At the same time more modest balance sheets and less diversified revenue can leave them exposed if the backdrop turns against them.In this article we look at some of the key themes which have...

Although there were few nuggets of corporate news as the third quarter drew to a close, the FTSE 100 index of leading stocks continued to climb towards a two-month high adding another 0.1% to 7,331.Support came mainly from the Banks, with HSBC (HSBA) gaining 0.5% to 627p, Barclays (BARC) gaining 0.3% to 151p and Lloyds (LLOY) also adding 0.3% to 55p.Weighing on the index were the Oils, with BP...